Self-playing musical instrument.



L. B. DOMAN.

SELF PLAYING MUSICAL msmumam.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAY 24, 1910- v y 1,14%044, Patented May 2:), 1910.

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THE NORRIS PETERS no, F'HDTG-LITHOY, WASHINGTON. n c.

L. B. DOMAN.

SELF PLAYENG MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1910.

1 ,141 .0445. Patented May 25, 1915.

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W1 TA/E S'JEJ' ,vrE/v Ton G52 W W 'M Wk 1 ATTw'rMSx HE NORRIS PETERS (70., PHOTO-LITHO.v WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS B. DOMAN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMPHION PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SELF PLAYlNG- MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed May 24, 1910.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LEWIS B. DoMi N, of Svracuse. in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Play ng Musr cal Instruments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in pneumatic self-playing pianos in which the sound producing action is controlled by a pedal operated wind-inducing device operating in conjunction with a perforated music sheet and tracker bar.

The main object of my present invention is to enable the operator to produce loud and soft tone effects by means ot' the same pedals which we employed to operate the wind- 1nducing device, without in any way affect ng the tempo during the playing of a musical selection, and at the same time leavlng the piano action in normal position for manual operation when the pneumatic action is not in use. In other words I have sought to vary the position of the hammers relatively to the strings for loud and soft tone effects by means of one or more pneumatics controlled bv the action of the pedals of the wind-inducing device in such manner that when the air tension in the exhaust device is increased or reduced the hammers will be respectively moved away from or toward the strings.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation, 1 in section, of my invention as operatively connected to the wind-inducing device of a self-playing piano showing the hammer rest rail and a portion of one of the hammers and string. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of a modified construction in which the equalizer of the exhaust device is utilized to shift the hammer rest rail for loud tone effects. Fig. 3 is a top plan of a further modification as applied to sectional hammer rest rails in which a pedal controlled shifting device similar to that shown in Fig. 1 is provided for each section and adapted to operate said sections simultaneously or separately.

In carrying out the objects stated, I pref- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Serial No. 563,114.

erably employ two pneumatics -1- and -2 located one above the other and con nected by pipes -3 and flrespectively to a wind-chest 5 of a self-playing piano. The movable sides of the pneumatics 1 and 2 which preferably face each other are flexibly connected by a coil spring -6 and link said spring and link being connected to each other and to a movable hammer rest rail 8- for the hammers, as -9-, which are movable to and from their respective piano strings -10-.

The size of the pneumatic land its spring connection with the hammer rest rail are regulated so as to operate under the lightest air tension with suflicient power to shift the hammers into position to produce soft tone effects when the piano is operated automatically, and to permit the hammers and hammer rest rail to return to their normal positions for producing loud tone effects when the air tension is cut off, thereby allowing the piano to be played manually in the usual manner.

The size of the pneumatic -2 as com pared with the pneumatic 1 is relatively smaller but of such relative capacity that under the lighter air pressures below that required to distend the spring 6- it will be distended by reason of its connection with the pneumatic 1, thereby allowing the hammer rest rail and hammers to remain in their adjusted positions for producing soft tone effects until the air pressure or tension in the smaller pneumatic 2 is sufficient to collapse the same against the tension of the spring, whereupon the hammer rest rail and hammers will immediately recede from the strings toward or to their positions for producing louder or maximum loud tone effects.

The primary function of the pneumatic -1- is to lift or shift the hammer rest rail and hammers to their positions for producing soft tone effects through the medium of the spring 6- which is of just suflieient power or tension to accomplish this result and also to distend the pneumatic -2 through the medium of the link 7 under the light air tension required to collapse the pneumatic -1. It is therefore apparent that as the air tension in the pneumatics -1- and -2- is increased beyond what is actually necessary to collapse the pneumatic 1 to throw the hammer rest rail and hammers to their positions for producing soft tones and therefore beyond the power exerted by the normal tension of the spring -6, the pneumatic 2 will be collapsed against the action of said spring, thereby forcing the hammer rest rail away from the strings and allowing a similar movement of the hammers for producing louder or maximum loud tone effects.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that when the instrument is operated automatically the pneumatic 1 and spring *6 connecting it to the hammer rest rail tend to yieldingly hold and to restore the hammer rest rail and hammers to their positions for producing soft tone effects and that any variation of said hammer rest rail and hammers from such position for producing louder or maximum loud tone effects is dependent upon varying degrees of increased air tension in the pneu- 1n atic 2.

The air tension or pressure in the windchest and therefore in the pneumatics l and -2- which communicate therewith is maintained below atmospheric pressure by suitable wind inducing device, as a bellows 1l, and suitable operating pedals -12- therefor, said wind inducing device being connected as usual to the wind chest 5, thereby establishing direct communication between the wind-inducing device and pneu matics l and 2- without the interposition of any valves.

It is now clear that in the automatic operation of the instrument by means of the pedals and wind-inducing device the initial light or slow action of the pedals will first cause the collapse of the pneumatic 1- to shift the hammer rest rail and hammers from their normal loud positions nearer to the strings for producing softer tones, the spring 6 and connecting link 7 serving to distend the pneumatic -2 and to yieldingly hold it and the hammers in such position. On the other hand it is equally apparent that under a quick or rapid action of the pedals to produce an increased power in the pneumatic -2 sufiicient to overcome the tension of the spring 6, the collapse of such pneumatic will operate through the medium of the link "7- to draw the hammer rest rail farther away from the strings, thereby allowing a corresponding recession of the hammers and producing louder or maximum loud tones according to the degree of collapse of the pneumatic 2. lhe stroke of the hammer may therefore be governed entirely by the action of the pedals through the medium of the varying air pressures produced thereby in the pneumatic 2-. When the action of the pedals ceases, as for example at the end of a musical selection, the air pressures interiorly and exteriorly in the pneumatics -1 and 2 becomes equalized, thus allowing the hammer rest rail and hammers to return to their normal positions for loud tones.

The pneumatics 1 and 2 are shown as connected by the pipes 3 and -at to the wind-chest of the wind-inducing device, but it is clearly evident that they may be connected to any other air chamber or chambers which are in constant communication with said wind-inducing device, so as to readily respond to any variations in the speed or power of action of the pedals.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modified form of my invention in which an equalizer 14?- forming a part of the Windinducing device is utilized in conjunction with the relatively small pneumatic -1- for controlling the position of the hammer rest rail and hammers for loud and soft tone effects. ihe pneumatic 1 corresponds to the pneumatic -l shown in Fig. 1 and is of just sufficient capacity or power to shift the hammer rest rail and hammers from their normal positions for producing loud tone effects to their inner positions for producing soft ton e effects, and for this purpose suitable connections 15- are made between the movable side of said pneumatic 1 and the hammer rail 8- capable of allowing the hammer rest rail and hammers to return either by their own. gravity or by means of the connections with the equalizer to their normal positions. The equalizer 14l may be connected to the hammer rest rail in any suitable manner capable of returning or withdrawing said rail to or toward its normal position for loud tones against the action of the pneumatic 1, or when the automatic action is cut out for manual playing, at which time the hammer rest rail is free to be actuated in the usual manner. As

shown in the drawings, the movable side of the equalizer 1 i is connected by a link -1G to one arm of a bell-crank lever -l7, the other arm being connected by a link -18 to one arm of a similar bellcrank lever -19 having its other arm connected with provision for a lost motion to an arm 20- on the hammer rest rail -8, said arm being provided with an elongated slot 21 which receives a pin 22 on the adjacent arm of the lever 19. then the equalizer 1 l and pneumatic --1- are distended and the hammer rest rail 8 is in its normal position for loud tones or farthest from the strings, the pin -22 is at or near the end of the slot 21- nearest the hammer rest rail, said slot being of suflicient length to permit said hammer rest rail to be moved to its position for producing soft tones by the collapse of the pneumatic 1-. The equalizer 1 l is normally distended by a spring -23.

As soon as the pedal action begins to 0perate the wind-inducing device to produce even the lightest air tension in the pneumatic 1-, the latter is instantly deflated and operates to shift the hammer rail to and tends to hold it in its position for producing soft tones, thereby shifting the bar 2()- until the pin is at or near the outer end of the slot It is now evident that if the pedals are operated with increased speed or power suilicient to wholly or iiartially collapse the equalizer 14- against the action of the spring -23, the bell-crank levers -17- and -19 will operate through the medium of the bar 20 to draw the hammer rest rail back away from the strings more or less against the action of the less powerful pneumatic -1 for producing lower or maximum loud tones according to the speed or power applied to the pedals. In other words the air tension in the equalizer 14- and pneumatic -1- is dependent upon the action of the pedals, but on account of the relatively large capacity of the equalizer 14 and action of the (listending spring 23- the power required to operate the equalizer is much greater than that required to operate the pneumatic -1, so that while the pneumatic l"- is operated with light air tension or comparatively small power un der slow or light action of the pedals to shift the hammer rest rail to its position for soft tone effects, the equalizer 1 lwill. re min in its normal distended position and will only be operated by an increased speed or power applied to the pedals, by which operation the hammer rest rail and hammers will be withdrawn from the strings to produce louder tones according to the speed or power applied to the pedals.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the hammer rest rail as divided into sections 8 adapted to be operated simultaneously or independently of each other by separate devices each similar to that shown in Fig. 1, although in this instance the pneumatics 1 and 2 for each hammer rest rail section. are disposed in upright positions at the rear and in front of such sect-ion. The hammer rail sections 8- are supported in the usual manner shown in Fig. 1 and, although I have only shown one hammer 9- as associated with each hammer rest rail and its corresponding string l0, it is understood that the usual number will be employed. The pneumatics 1 are connected to their respective hammer rest rail sections by springs -6 for drawing said sections to their positions for soft tone effects, while the pneumatics -2 which are relatively smaller than the pneumatics 1 are also connected to their respective hammer rest rail sections by links 7 for drawing said sections away from the strings for producing louder tones, the action of said pneumatics and their connections with their respective hammer rest rail sections being substantially the same as that described for the corresponding parts shown in Fig. 1. The pneumatics 1 and 2 of each set are connected by pipes 3 and -l to the wind-chest 5- of the wind-inducing device and, aside from their suction controlling device presently described whereby either hammer rest rail section may be caused to operate independently of the other, the action is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1. These controlling devices just referred to consist of separate normally open valves 30 which are preferably located in the pipes 1- between the pneumatics -2 and wind-chest 5-, either of which is adapted to be closed, by hand or otherwise, independent of the other to cut off communication between the corresponding pneumatic -2 and wind-chest, thus causing the corresponding hammer rest rail section to be held by its pneumatic 1- in position for soft tone effects during the automatic playing of the musical selection, while the other hammer rest rail section or sections are susceptible to action by their corresponding pneumatics 2 under increased air tension for producing loud effects. For example, assuming that it is desired to emphasize the whole or certain portions of the melody and to maintain a subdued or soft accompaniment, then it is only necessary to close the valve 30 in the pipe leading to the pneumatic 2- which controls the hammer rest rail section corresponding to the sound producing devices for the accompaniment, whereupon such hammer rest rail section will be held in position for producing soft tones at all times during the playing of the musical selection, or while the hammer rest rail section for shifting the hammers corresponding to the melody notes will be moved back and forth. according to the speed or power of action of the pedals, so that as the air tension is increased by said action the correponding pneumatic -2- will shift such hammer rest rail section into position for producing louder tone effects. On the other hand, if it is desired to maintain a subdued melody and to emphasize the accompaniment or bass, the valve 30- corresponding to the hammer rest rail section for the melody will be closed and the valve for the bass section will. be left open, or if both hammer rest rail sections are to be operated simultaneously both valves will be left open.

Any well known form of valve capable of opening and closing communication between the pneumatic -2 and wind-chest may be employed, the operating members for said valve being located on the instrument in such position as to be conveniently manipulated by the operator.

What I claim is:

1. In a pneumatic self-playing piano, in combination with a hammer rail and a windinducing device including a pumping bellows, an air tension equalizer communicating therewith and an air chest communicating with the equalizer, a pneumatic actuator for the hammer rail in direct oommunication with the air chest of the wind-inducing device and having a limited closing movement independently of the equalizer for causing the hammer rail to move toward the strings under the slightest variation of air tension in the Wind chest from normal.

2. In a pneumatic self-playing piano, the combination with hammer rail, and a wind-inducing device having a wind chest and a spring distended pneumatic equalizer communicating therewith, of a relatively smaller pneumatic actuator for the hammer rail in direct communication with the wind chest for shifting the hammer rail toward the strings under an air tension in the air chest below that which is suflicient to collapse the equalizer against the action of its distending spring.

3. In a pneumatic self-playing musical instrument, the combination with a hammer rail and a wind-inducing device having a wind chest and a pneumatic equalizer communicating therewith, of two rail-operating pneui'natics of unequal size and both in direct communication with the wind chest, connections between the movable sides of said rail-operating pneumatics including a spring of less power than the smaller pneuma tic when the latter is under the maximum air tension in the ar chest, and additional connections between the first named connections and rail at a point between the spring and smaller pneumatic.

i. In a pneumatic self-playing musical instrument, the combination with a hammer rail and a wind-inducing device having an air chest and a pneumatic equalizer communicating therewith, of a rail-operating pneumatic in direct communication with the wind chest and of relativeiy smaller size than the pneumatic equalizer, connections between said rail-operating pneumatic and rail including a spring of suiiicient power to operate the rail as the rail-operating pneumatic is collapsed by varying air tension in the wind chest from normal, a relatively smaller rail-operating pneumatic also in direct communication with the wind chest, and connections between said relatively smaller rail-operating pneumatic and the rail, the last named pneumatic being of sufiicient power to overcome the tension of said spring to restore the rail to its normal position when the tension in the wind chest ap proaches its maximum degree.

5. In a pneumatic self-playing musical instrument, the combination with a hammer rail and a wind-inducing device, of a pair of rail-operating pneumatics of unequal size both in direct communication with the windinducing device and having their movable sides facing each other, connections including a spring between said movable sides, ad ditional, connections between the first named connections and rail, the smaller pneumatic being of greater power under maximum tension than the spring.

6. In a pneumatic seliiplaying musical instrument, the combination with a hammer rail and a wind-inducing device, a pneumatic actuator in direct communication with the wind-inducing device and spring connected to the rail, and means actuated by a maximum air tension in the wind-inducing device for operating the rail against the action of said spring, the power of said pneumatic actuator being greater than that of the spring under such maximum air tension.

7. In a pneumatic self-playing musical instrument, the combination with separately movable hammer rail sections, separate pneumatic actuators for said rail sections both in direct communication with the windinducing device, separate resistance pneumatics also in direct communication with the wind-inducing device and connected to their respective rail sections, and separate devices for controlling communication between the last named pneumatics and wind-inducing device.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 19th day of May 1910.

LEWIS B. DOMAN.

Vfitnesses:

H. E. GrrAsE, H. L. HUMPHREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

